Electric motor



Sept. 1 1931. v E. OSWALD 1,821,071

ELECTRIC MOTOR Criginal Filed Sept. 12 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 1, 1 931.

A. E. OSWALD ELECTRIC MOTOR Criginai Filed Sept. 12 1925 3 Sheets-Shet 2 A. E. OSWALD Sept 1, 1931;

ELECTRIC MOTOR Original Filed Sept. 12 925 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented fiept. 1, 1931 -um'rso STATES PATENT. oFrlcE ALFRED E. OBWALD, Oi HACKENSAGI, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB 10 UNDEBwOOD 3 ELLIOTT FISHER COMPANY, Q! NEW YORK, N. Y., A COBPQRATION O! DELAWARE Original application fled September 18, 1925, Serial No. 55,948. Divided and this application filed January 25, 1827. Serial lto. 163,518.

This invention relates to electric motors and the primary object is to adapt a motor for work under a wide variety of conditions and on both direct and alternating current,

thus substantially increasing its range ofusefulness.

The motor has main and auxiliar field coils, each provided with terminals w erebyconnections are made in order that the motor may be adapted to a particular current, but an especially notable feature is that a main pair and an auxiliary pair of brushes are r0- vided, each brush having a terminal. he coils and brushes are variouslyconnectible by means of contact plates co-operating with the coil terminals and the brush terminals. .The connectibility of the coils and brushes makes it possible for the motor to be used over a motors, it makes it possible to meet a demand for motors of different speeds with a relatively small stock of motors, each motor possessing within itself an aptitude for operation 'at difiere'nt speeds.

. For operation on direct current, the coils are connected after the manner of a short shunt compound-wound motor, but with the important distinction that certain of the main field coils are connected to an auxiliary brush and a main brush. These latter coils receive a fraction of the armature voltage which is greatest across the main brushes. This scheme results in a greater range between high and low speed, because'it is possibl'e to weaken or strengthen the field magnet by this method of connection. When.

the brushes are moved in the direction opposite to that of armature rotation, the speed of the motor increases on a wellknown principle, but a new principle is also involved. As stated, certain of the field coils are connected to a main brush and an auxiliary brush. On the aforementioned shifting of the brushes, the voltage drop between the main brush and the auxiliary brush, to which thecoils are connected, decreases, thus giving :nweaker field and causing the motor to run faster.

The several field-coils are pre-wound, and an important feature of the invention resides in the manner of joining separable U- shaped laminated half-core portions over the arms of which the pre-wound 0011s are threaded. Each U-shaped lamination has at the end of each of its arms an extension or finger formed by, and therefore adjoining, a jog. The fingers thus formed are on the same side of their respective arms, so that, by simply reversing one lamination with respect to the other, both laminations being alike, the'fingers of one lamination fit into the jogs of the other lamination. The uniform U-shaped laminations of the built-up half-core portions are also alternatingly reversed, so that, by reason of said jogsfthere are formed at the end of each arm of the built-u half-core portion two adjoining rows .0 staggered fingers, the fingers of each row being interspaced with the jo forming the fingers of the other row. he fingers thus arranged in each half-core portion may be interdigitated with the fingers of the similarly built-up other half-core portion, to interlockthe corertions and form a ood magnetic bond. oreover, the fingers o the individual laminations may easily be seen as the tvgi half-portions are brought tb-v gether, an any misali ment of said fingers of the individual laminations, which would prevent brin ingthe core-portions fully together, may t erefore be easily perceived and corrected as will'b'e shown.

The combination of the two principles for changing the s ed' of the motor, gives a particularly wi e range of speed power and also eliminates sparking 'at the commutator and brushes. v

On alternatin current, the invention contemplatesthe se ective use of coils in combi-' nation with the main and auxiliary brushes.

More power is produced by the motor, The

provision of auxiliary brushes prevents the armature from unduly limiting the'amount of current used. The principle of putting current through the main brushes from the 5 line. circuit is still used, but the auxiliary brushes are also used to take off currents in duced in the armature. By permitting the consumption of more current, the auxiliary brushes give the motor greater power. 1 The shifting of the brushes in the direction of armature rotation, retards the motor both by reason of the old principle, that the shift oflthe main brushes effects such result, and also by reason of an additional principle;

- namely, that the voltage induced at the mixiliary brushes is altered by reason of the shift of the'armature turns relatively to the' lines of the field magnetic force. The relationship is such that as the speed increases,

the power also increases. This is an advance in the art of alternating current-motors.

Heretofore, brushes have been moved with the object, primarily, of eliminating sparking. When shifting of the brushes has been used to change speed, they have been moved by a rocker-arm, and not by a complete endhearing or head, as in this invention.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 55,943, filed September 12,

- 1925, Patent No. 1,750,122, dated March 11,

Uther features and advantages will here-- motor shown in Figure 1, the terminal plate being illustrated for clarity as outside the motor casing.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the motor shown in Figure 1, and illustrating by arrows the direction of field magnetic force, armature magnetism and armature rotation.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of parts of the field magnet showing coils on a portion of the magnet and illustrating the manner of assembling of laminations.

Figure 6 is a plan view with parts broken awa and parts in section of a modified form evice for securing a head for limited angular movement.

The armature has a commutator 26 and a shaft 27 which rotates in heads or end closures 28 and 29 for a casing 30. The head 29 '60 has a pair of main brushes 19 and 20 and a pair of auxiliary brushes 22 and 23, each of which is connected to terminals correspondingly designated on a terminal plate 83.

The field includes laminations 31 of U-shape andinterchangeable. Extensions or fingers 32 and 33 are provided at the ends of the arms 'of each lamination and are formed by jogs 35 to receive the fingers 32 and 33 of a laminat'ion lying in the same plane so that the two laminations in a single plane interlock.

As shown -in Figure 3 alternate layers of laminations are reversed so that a finger 32 on one lamination is adjacent but slightly offset from a finger 33 of an adjacent lamination in a different plane. The interlocking relation of the laminations is such that there can be no inaccuracy in the positioning thereof.

As shown in Figure 5, each extension or finger 32, 33 of the individual laminations 31 may, when each half-core portion is built up, be viewed from the sides of the arms of said half-portions. \Vhen the half-portions therefore are brought together for interdigitation of the fingers, any misalignment of the fingers, which would obstruct said interdigitation and which misalignment may be caused by springing of the fingers 32, 33 of individual laminations, may be easily perceived and may also, because all the fingers are readily accessible, be easily remedied by prying the sprung fingers back into place. It .will be further noted, see Figure 5, that the recesses 35 formed by the jogs of the individual laminations are open on their sides as well as at the top, and thus may be easily cleaned of any grit or other impediments which would impair the magnetic joint. It will also be noted that each finger 32 or 33 includes in width the greatest possible portion of the arm, or, in other words, one-half the width of said arm. 1n U-shaped laminations having comparatively narrow arms, as in the motor herein shown, this provision for maximum Width of the fingers obviates undue narrowness of said fingers.

When the field-laminations have been assembled as above, the clamping sleeve or collar 30, forming in part a casing for the motor, is forced over the outside of the laminations to hold the same securely in place in the motor, and also to retain the surfaces of the. interdigitated fingers and jogs in juxtaposition under pressure, to insure good contact therebetween and reduce the resistance to the magnetic flux across the joint to a minimum.

Main coils 49, 50, 51 and 52 and auxiliary coils 66, 67, and 71 are mounted on the magnet and are connected to terminals ,on the terminal plate 83. The main conductors 36 and 37 are also connected to terminals on the terminal plate.

A contact plate 96 has contacts thereon for engaging the terminals on the terminal plate 83 and has conductors thereon connecting various contacts. These are merely illustrative of general principles as the coil terminals and brush terminals are connectible in a large variety'of ways. The connections on the contact plate are made according to the natgre of the current on which the motor is use The plates 96 and 83 are mounted on the head 28.

Means are provided by which the head 29 i may be releasably secured to the head 28.

The head 29 may have slots 38 each of which may receive a screw 39.' Each screw 39 may be threaded into a block 40 which may be secured to the head 28 by ascrew 41. 'When the screw 41 is loosened the head 29 can be moved by the operator by means of a handle 42.

The movement of the head 29 shifts the brushes 19, 20, 22 and 23 and increases or decreases the speed of the motor depending on the direction of movement of the head as will be presently explained. As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, 4 and 6, the casing 30 and head 29 may have appropriate markings to indicate whetherthe motor is in normal, fast or slow position.

Retaining screws 53 prevent displacement of. the clamp-screws 39 when the head 29 is moved and maybe threaded into the block 53' and thus be drawn tight in the side of the casing. v

A modified form of retainin device for releasably securing the head 29 in a particular angular position is shown in Figure 6.'

In this form the head 29 is movable longitudinally of the armature shaft a slight distance but the shaft is provided with stops 54 for reventing such large movement of the hea s as would cause damage.

A screw 55 may be secured in a slot 56 in the head 29 and its threaded end may extend into a hollow connection 56. A similar oppositely disposed screw may be secured to the head 28. A spring 57 may be adjustably secured to the screws by means of nuts 58. The

. tension of the spring 57 may be overcome when the handle 42 on the head 29 is grasped by the operator and the head 29 may be readil moved angularly. Screws 59 may be exten ed through the wall of thecasing for preventing displacement of the screw 55.

Although Figure 6 illustrates two of the devices, such as just described, for securing the head 29 for. limited movement, any desired number of such devices may be used.

It will be noted that by the incorporation of. the armature bearing in the shiftable brushhead, the brushes may be readily moved for angular adjustment, there are preserved the big 1y desirable features of substantially enclosing the working partsof the motor journalirig the armature at each of its ends. The speed of the motor changes on A. C.

due to the well known principle that if the brushes are moved against the direction of rotation, the speed of the motor will increase. In addition to this, the power also increases due to the fact that the relationship with the get; nevertheless,

armature windings and connections to the field allows the motor to take more current, the power increasing directly as the current increases.

' In Figure 4 arrows A, B and C indicate .the direction of the armature magnetism.

Arrow A indicates the direction of the armature magnetism as produced by the current used from the main lme circuit. Arrow C indicates the magnetic field of the armature as produced by the induced current in the armature winding by the field magnetism. Arrow B represents the resultant magnetism from distance in a counterclockwise direction from the position illustrated. This follows from the relation ofthe lines of field magnetic force to the force representedby the arrow B. r

If brushes 22 and 23 force represented by arrows A and B would disappear and the motor would have less power.

When the strerliagth of magnetism re resented by arrow is decreased arrowis moved in a clockwise direction as B represents a resultant. The speed of the motor is therefore decreased.

When the minimum current is induced in the armature it so ha pens that the brushes are adjusted for the higher speed and likewise, when the minimum current is induced in the armature and is picked up by brushes 22 and 23, the brushes are in the position; as

indicated, for the slowest speed.

On A. C. the shifting of the brushes increases or decreases the speed in the standard method as reviouslyexplained. But also due to the act that the vertical brushes 22 and 23 areconnected to auxiliary coils in a novel way, the motor has more power when .adjusted to a higher speed, due to the .fact

that the motor is capable of consuming more were removed the current under such conditions, because ofthe relationshipof the resultant armature magnetism and field magnetism. Onev of the principles of operation is the fact that the shifting of the armature brushes allows more or less turns of the armature winding to be caught by the field magnetic force, causing the voltage generated in such armature winding to be decreased or increased. The auxilialry brushes are connectible to auxiliary coi 0 as explained, to help or oppose the main field magnetism. The scheme of shifting the brushes is for increasing speed, and

allows the motor when connected to A. C.

Y to consume more current, and thereby allows the motor toproduce more power as the speed is increased. This is theoresult of the arrangement and relationship of the va- L rious coils and the components of the magnetism.

Wide variations may be made Within the scope of the invention, as for example, the field coils may be transposed with the fauxiliary coils, and the invention may be used with other magnets than" the double horseshoe type illustrated; and portions of the improvements may be used without others,

as, for example, the motor altering devices or contact plates may be used only for alternating current if desired. As another example, the speed-regulating means for an alternating motor may be employed whether or not "any contact plate is used.

' mutator mounted on said one head 'for movement therewith to alter the relation of said armature and said field-structure.

2. An electric motor having an armature, a field-structure, a casing for said field-structure, a'pair of heads for said casing in which opposite ends of said armature are journaled, one of said heads being mounted for angular movement, a handle on said head for manual movement thereof, a commutator, and commutator brushes mounted on said movable head for movement therewith.

3. An electric motor havingan armature, a field-structure, a casing for said field-structure, a pairof heads for said casing iniwhich opposite ends of said armature are journaled, one-of said heads being mounted for movement, and having an arcuate slot therein, a retaining element projecting through said slot, for securing the movable head 'to the other head, but ermitting limited angular movement of saidimovable head, a commutator, and brushes mounted on said movable head for movement therewith.

a 4. An electric motor having an armature, a field-structure, a casing, a pair of heads for the. ends of said casing, one ofsaid heads a being mounted for angular movement, an armature shaft supported between and therefore journaled in said heads, a stop onsaid shaft for limiting the longitudinal movement of said movable head, a commutator, and brushes mounted on said movable head for angular movement therewith.

1. In an electric motor, the combination 5. An annular laminated field-magnet core constructed of U-shaped laminated halfportions over the arms of which prewound field-coils maybe threaded and said halfportionsthen joined to form the complete annulus by abutment and interlocking of the ends of said arms, each arm of each U-shaped lamination having at its end a finger formed by, and thus adjoining, a jog at said end, the fingers on the arms of one lamination being on the same side of the adjacent jogs forming said fingers, so that by reversing one U-shaped lamination in respect to the other, the fingers of one lamination will fit into the jogs of the other lamination, to thereby effect interdigitation of said fingers and uniformity of the laminations, the U-shaped laminations of each half-core portion being also alternatingly reversed, so thatin each built-up halfcore portion there are formed at the end of each arm thereof two rows of staggered fingers, the fingers of each row being inter- "spaced with the jogs forming the fingers of t e other row, said fingers of the two rows of each arm being thus further interdigitated 90 with the fingers of the abutting arm of the opposite half-core portion which is similarly built up, the latter interdigitation interlocking the half-core portions against relative axial and lateral displacement, and the inter-' digitation throughout conducing to a good magnetic joint, and core-retaining means forcing said built-up half-core portions together from substantially diametrically opposite sides.

6. An adj ustable-brush electric motor having a field-structure, an armature, a commuatator, framework including a fixed bearing in which one end of said armature is journaled, commutator-brushes, and a bodily-ad justable brush-carrying head in which is incorporated a bearing for the other end of said armature, said framework including a seat and securing means for said brush-head and its armature-bearing arranged to per- 1 mit angular adjustment of said brush-head and therefore of said brushes around the armature-axis while at the same time preserving the alignment of the armature-bearings at all adjustments, said incorporation of the one armature-bearing with the shiftable brush-head conducing to simplicity of the motor-structure.

7. A casing, for substantially enclosing an adjustable-brush electric motor, constructed to permit angular adjustment of the brushes around the armature-axis, said motor having a field-structure, armature and commutator, said casing including a sleeve surrounding said field-structure and closed at one end by a fixed head which includes a bearing for one end of said armature, a movable head seated on the other end of said sleeve for rotation around the armature-axis and including a bearing for the other end of said armature, 1 0

I brushes mounted on said movable head for rotation therewith, and means for securing the movablehead in any of its adjustedpositions, the seating of said movable head on said sleeve being arranged to preserve the alignment of the armature-bearings in the opposite heads at all adjustments of the movable head.

8. In an adjustable-brush electric motor having a field-structure, armature, commutator, and brushes for said commutator, the

combination of .an armature bearing mem- 'membergs joined substantially at a throughthe axis of the core,'each 0 saidmembers of the core having end portions to .ber including supports for said brushes, and

means for supporting said bearing member arranged to permit angular adjustment of said bearing, and hence of said'brushes rela tively to the field-structure.

9. In an electric motor, an annular field core structure, formed in radial sections by a plurality of similar laminated field-core lane engage with similar end portions on contiguous sections when the sections are assembled together, each end portion including a finger and a jog radially disposed therein, 'the finger'and-the jog on one end portion of a member alternating with those at the other end. portion, and a p urality of alternate fingem and jogs longitudinally disposed there in, said fingers and jogs being perpendicular to said plane and effective to interdigitate with similar fin ers and jogs, and similarly positioned, in t e sections connected therewith ALFRED. E. OSWALD. v 

